jugal bone

Modern snakes lack a jugal bone, which is analogous to a cheekbone.

“This research revolutionizes our understanding of the jugal bone in snake and non-snake lizards,” Caldwell, a professor at the University of Alberta, added.

The zygomatic arch usually incomplete, owing to the absence of the jugal bone; no distinct lacrymal bone; and the palate long and narrow.

It shows the characteristic hippopotamus-flange to the lower jaw, but has also a large descending process from the jugal bone of the zygomatic arch of the skull.

Zygomatic processes of jugal bones thick and massive.